Thank you so much to everyone who commented! I tried to reply to most people's comments, but alas, 'twas proving somewhat tedious/impossible. But besides that, all of your comments made me so happy! I can't believe that everybody likes my writing so much. *WARNING! –shameless advertising right here* If you like Fullmetal Alchemist, you should check out my other story as well. :D
It's making me so insanely happy to read all of your positive comments. So this chapter goes out to you all.
Disclaimer- Look to the previous chapters, dear friends and readers!
"Speaking"
"Thinking"
"Sounds"
"Text book reading"
Harry Potter Point of View
The three friends trooped towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and, very cautiously, poked their heads in. Ron let out a very audible sigh of relief when they saw that there were no cheekily smiling self portraits or a cage full of angry pixies. Quietly, they found their way to the seats that were as far away from the Slytherin house as possible and settled down into them. The trio glanced around the room. It was dim, but not dreary, and comfortable warmth permeated the large room. Students were filing slowly into the room, looking as nervous as Harry, Hermione, and Ron felt. Everyone found their seats and waited for their mysterious new teacher to arrive.
As the minutes ticked by, they began to talk amongst themselves. It was an uncomfortable sort of chatter, the Houses staying mostly to themselves. It was quiet enough that, when the doors swung open with a loud thump a couple of the third years actually let out little yelps. Everyone turned to see who had entered the classroom. As was half expected, the new Professor stood in the doorway. The man glanced around at the class for a brief moment before walking calmly to the front of the room.
"Hello. My name is Professor Lupin, and it is a pleasure to meet all of you." He introduced himself warmly, but sounded tired. A weak chorus of 'Hello's answered him.
"The chap doesn't look too good." Ron commented in a whisper to his two best friends. Harry nodded while Hermione gave him a disapproving look, but secretly agreed.
"Well, from what the Headmaster tells me, you seem to have had a rather dysfunctional education in this class. You all know how to duel, and how to deal with Cornish Pixies, is that correct?" Lupin said with a slight sparkle in his tired eyes. There was a quiet murmur that rippled through the class at the mention of the pixies, and Neville Longbottom looked like he might cry at the memory. The professor nodded and opened up a small notebook, his eyes scanning whatever was written there briefly before he said out loud "Please open your books to page 113. We will begin our reading there today."
A few students groaned, but they all obediently opened their books. The professor surveyed the room approvingly. When everyone had found the page, he said "Now, please read the first three paragraphs, and then we will get started with our lesson for the day." As everyone else began to read, a single hand was raised high into the air. Lupin's eyes stopped upon the hand and he quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, Ms. Granger?" he asked kindly.
"Sir, I was curious; do you know anything of vampires?" the bushy haired third year asked, sounding almost hesitant. All eyes were raised from their books and instead trained either on Hermione or Professor Lupin.
"Do I know anything about vampires." Lupin echoed her thoughtfully. "I suppose it all depends; what do you wish to know?"
Hermione looked surprised at the response, and was quiet for a second, thinking up whatever questions she wanted answered the most. "I think-" she began, but was cut off when another student shouted out "Have you ever met one?". Hermione sent an angry glance in the direction of whoever had spoken, but waited patiently for the answer anyways.
The professor chuckled and said vaguely "Not many people of our generation have met such creatures." Before the protests could be voiced by the curious students, Lupin raised one hand to signal for silence. "However-" here, it felt as if the class had taken a breath together and all were all holding it. "-I did have the fascinating experience of meeting one before. It was just in passing, but he seemed to be an overall kind sort of man, if not a bit rough around the edges."
A kind of disappointed sigh from the students broke the spell. "What was his name, sir?" Hermione interjected curiously, ignoring the others.
"I'm not sure if I really remember it at this point; I met him when I was still just a child, really. I believe, though, that it was Crepsley. Larten Crepsley."
"How did you meet him?"
Lupin stared at his students for a long time, obviously having some kind of an internal struggle with himself about whether or not to enlighten the children he was sworn to teach or to keep his own little secrets as such. Finally, he said "My father had a few…interesting…friends. When a particular problem arose in our family, we went to see one of those friends."
"Your father was friends with a vampire?" Lavender shrieked from the back of the room. Harry caught Hermione's angry glare at the tone of the other girl's voice.
"No, but friends with a man who knew one." Lupin said in his semi-quiet voice. The poor man looked very tired now, as if just speaking and thinking of the experience just pulled the energy and life right from him. There was a brief second of silence before the Professor said "Now, please continue reading the assigned paragraphs, and then we will get started with our lessons."
Hermione looked disappointed; she hadn't even had the chance to ask her question! But she obeyed and kept her mouth shut anyways. Quickly, she read and reread the paragraphs- and even a little extra- and was done before Harry or Ron had even reached the end of the second paragraph.
As soon as he was sure everyone was finished, Professor Lupin asked the class if anyone had any guesses as to what they would be studying that day. Almost every hand from the Gryffindor house was raised high into the air, while most if the people from the Slytherin house just sneered at the question.
The new Professor peered around at his students before calling "Neville Longbottom."
The slightly chubby Gryffindor looked shocked at being chosen to answer the question, but managed to stutter out "Um…B-Bogarts, sir."
"That is correct." Lupin smiled at the boy warmly, and then turned to the rest of the class. "Now, the original plan was to have class inside and with a Bogart that was residing inside of a large wardrobe. However, due to a misunderstanding, that one was disposed of already, so we will have to take our class to the outdoors."
"The 'outdoors'?" Draco sneered from his spot. "Why would we go there?" the question was obviously rhetorical, but the professor answered it anyways.
"Because, Mr. Malfoy, the only other Bogart that we know of, that is currently taking residence inside of the school grounds is in a small shack- usually used for miscellaneous tools- that is located near the Forbidden Forest." The Professor said it in a polite, matter-of-fact tone, but Harry could hear the underlying sarcasm in his voice.
Harry couldn't help but grin when he saw how pale Malfoy's face became at the mere mention of the Forbidden Forest.
"Now, class, gather your things and we will head outside." The Professor announced. Everyone jumped and scurried to gather their things. Malfoy and his group moved at a snail's pace, shuffling their feet and scowling at the Gryffindors and casting dirty looks at Professor Lupin when they thought he wasn't looking.
At length, they all trooped outside and (for some, very reluctantly) towards the forest. As they passed by his cage, Hermione waved at Darren, despite the fact that they couldn't see him from their vantage point. After a painfully placed elbow in the side, Ron and then Harry followed her example.
"He's probably asleep, you know. Vampires are usually nocturnal." Ron muttered not quite under his breath, rubbing his now sore side. Hermione sighed, but didn't say anything. Harry couldn't help but smile at his two best friends' slight bickering.
Soon enough, they reached the small shack. The class gathered around it, some looking nervous, but most looking excited. Even before Professor Lupin called Neville up to demonstrate just how this lesson was going to work, Harry began to get a sinking feeling deep in the very pit of his stomach. Something told him that things weren't going to go exactly as planned….